Brookline's Dorado Tacos & Cemitas To Close After 10 Years

BROOKLINE, MA — For the past decade if you needed a quality fish taco in town, you couldn't go wrong with one at Dorado Tacos & Cemitas on Harvard Street. Friday will be the last time you can saddle up to the counter and order a taco or cemita at the corner joint.

"It's time," said owner Doug Organ Tuesday as he manned the front of the restaurant and his one chef left prepared the orders in the back.

When Organ planned to open shop in Brookline, he had hoped to take over a spot in Coolidge Corner. But it soon became clear the rent was going to be too high there,so he took a chance on a less expensive storefront in JFK Crossing. It was a risk, he said, that paid off for the past 10 years. But now, with rent rising even here he's being priced out of the neighborhood, he said.

"It's just too expensive," he said. "Rent was already high enough."

So, after celebrating Dorado's 10 year anniversary this year, he's sold the business to some folks with a restaurant in JP and he's putting the apron away.

To do what?

"Sleep," he told Patch.

He said he plans to take some time off and focus on other projects.

To his customers and neighbors?

"Thank you for 10 years of patronage and letting me do business here. It's been great," he said. "The neighborhood has really been extremely supportive. It's kept me going."

Organ's culinary background is actually fine food and French cuisine. When he was in his 20s he moved from California to Boston and opened Cafe D in JP, serving a wide variety of dishes - from crimini mushroom soup with goat cheese to steak to fish tacos. It was the tacos and other Mexican inspired menu options, pulled from his childhood that inspired Dorado and wooed hundreds over the past decade.

On Tuesday, several Brookline neighbors popped in to express how sad they were the taqueria, known for its fish tacos, its sangria and homemade chips is closing, and to fill up on their favorites.

"Chris and I eat here at least twice a month, but I come here much more often than that. I just come here and sit here and eat and read," said Kailey Bennett who has lived around the corner on Fuller Street for the past five years.

She said she spent much of her life in San Antonio, influenced by street food there. "Finding a place that has authentic Mexican food here, like this was key, especially breakfast tacos."

So news of the closing hit hard.

"When I heard it was closing it was like a punch to the gut," she said. "My heart is broken."

Fernando Silva, who estimated he came around for tacos at least once a week, echoed that sentiment.

"I don't think that there's anything like this around here. I've been to many fish taco places - from New York and every place in between and there's nothing like this," he said.

Erica Anderson who lives in the neighborhood said she was surprised to hear Dorado was closing considering how busy the place is.

"It's been one of our standard takeout places," she said. "We love it because it's a little different. It's mostly healthy. And it has good options for the kids. There's just no other place where you can get something like this."

Dorado will close Friday.

RELATED:

• Dorado Tacos & Cemitas Celebrates Ten Years
• Doug Organ Gambles on Fish Tacos and Wins

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).